Friday, November 6th, 2009...11:35 am

What Makes a Great Leader?

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     For the next few weeks, I’m going to plunge into the topic of leadership like a cool lake on a hot summer day.  In this first post I’ll give you a satellite view and outline what, to me, makes an effective leader.

     To that end, allow me to begin by sharing a quick story with you…

                A man was walking through a rock quarry busy with workers excavating stone.  The man went up to one of the workers and asked, “What are you doing?”

                The worker responded with contempt, “I’m breaking my back to break these stones!”

                So the man went up to a second worker and asked the same question.

                Apparently exhausted, the second worker replied, “I’m breaking these stones to feed my family and put a roof over our heads.”

                Seeing that the two workers had very different perceptions of their responsibilities, the man asked a third worker the same question.

                The third worker looked at the man and – without a moment’s hesitation – said with pride, “I’m building a cathedral.”

     Now which of these workers do you think got the most satisfaction out of their job?  Which do you think worked the hardest and made the fewest mistakes?  Of course, it was the third worker…

     This story isn’t about leadership per se, but the cold-hard reality, is that a leader has the ability to create any of the three workers in the story. 

     Sadly, more often than not they create employees like the first two.

     The core difference in the outlook between the first two workers and the third is simple, investment.  The third worker knew what he was doing (and why) therefore he was committed to the task at hand. 

     The first two workers were simply compliant.  They did what they had to do to get a paycheck… but no more.   They probably didn’t care much about the company they worked for or the result of their efforts either.

     Care is a key element in leadership because if employees don’t see the connection between what they care about, and the tasks they’re asked to carry out, they won’t become invested and committed to their jobs and the companies they work for. 

      To bridge this gap, a leader listens to his or her employees and helps to build a bridge between their cares and the company mission.  But that’s not all…

     …A good leader gets people involved – because they know that people become invested in what they help to create.

     …A good leader inspires rather than directs – because they know that people who are inspired become committed to their job rather than compliant in it.

     …A good leader knows how important trust is – and seeks to build it at every turn.  Employees know they can count on a leader and that the leader will do exactly what they say they will.

     …A good leader “under promises” and “over-delivers” – because they know that there’s no faster way to create a culture of mistrust in the workplace than not delivering on promises.

     …A good leader connects employee care with company mission – because they know that employees that don’t care about the company, product, or mission will do just enough to get by and no more.

     In the next few weeks, I’ll explain what steps you can take to embody these traits.  In doing so, I’ll give you the tools you need to become a more effective leader – the kind of leader that people rally around and want to follow.

     For now, ask yourself, “Am I doing the things that build trust, investment, inspiration, and commitment amongst my employees?”

    If not, it might be time for a change.

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